Answers (1)

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Hi,
The following are the sections and your rights under IT Act and IPC. Please go through for your case.
Have a nice day.

Indian law on cyber stalking:

The Indian Information technology Act 2008 (amended) does not directly address stalking. But the problem is dealt more as an "intrusion on to the privacy of individual" than as regular cyber offences which are discussed in the IT Act 2008. Hence the most used provision for regulating cyber stalking in India is section 72 of the Indian information technology act ( Amended) , 2008 which runs as follows;
Section 72: Breach of confidentiality and privacy: Save as otherwise provided in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, any person who, in pursuant of any of the powers conferred under this Act, rules or regulations made there under, has secured access to any electronic record, book, register, correspondence, information, document or other material without the consent of the person concerned discloses such electronic record, book, register, correspondence, information, document or other material to any other person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both.

And also section 72A of the Information Technology Act,2000(amended in 2008), which runs as follows:
Section 72A:Punishment for Disclosure of information in breach of lawful contract (Inserted vide ITAA-2008): Save as otherwise provided in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, any person including an intermediary who, while providing services under the terms of lawful contract, has secured access to any material containing personal information about another person, with the intent to cause or knowing that he is likely to cause wrongful loss or wrongful gain discloses, without the consent of the person concerned, or in breach of a lawful contract, such material to any other person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with a fine which may extend to five lakh rupees, or with both.
The Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance,2013 added S.354D to the Indian Penal Code to define and punish the act of stalking. This law is as follows:
S.354D of the IPC (as has been added by the The Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance,2013 ):
Whoever follows a person or contacts or attempts to contact such person to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such person or whoever monitors the use by a person of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication or watches or spies a person in a manner that results in fear of violence or serious alarm or distress, in the mind of such person or interferes with the mental peace of such person, commits the offence of stalking.

Provided that the course of conduct will not amount to stalking if the person who pursued it shows

that it was pursued for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime and the person accused of stalking had been entrusted with the responsibility of prevention or detention of crime by the State , or

that it was pursued under any enactment or rule of law, or to comply with any condition or requirement imposed by any person under any enactment, or,

that in the particular circumstances, the pursuit of the course of conduct was reasonable.

Whoever commits the offence described in S.354D(1) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year but shall extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.

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